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ADHD genetic research has found evidence linking Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to genetics. Many mental health studies are being conducted in genetics and this latest study is studying the genetic link between ADHD and DNA. I have posted several articles on genetics and mental illness. One article claims that environmental stressors can change the DNA in a fetus that is exposed to environmental stressors. These stressors impact the cells and have the ability to turn off certain genes making someone predisposed to anxiety. Another study has implied that certain genetic mutations can cause depression. There are many studies that are discovering the biological causes for mental illness as well; these have been posted on this site as well.

Is ADHD a genetic disorder? Having an ancestor with a particular mental illness does not necessarily imply that a family member with the same mental illness has inherited the disease. This individual does have more of a predisposition to the illness, yet these familial causes are not always implied, especially with our new findings of the possible etiologies of these illnesses.

What was the cause of the illness in the ancestor that passed this gene along? Somewhere in the family of origin, somebody had to be first to introduce this illness to the family gene pool – and this introduction was therefore not genetic in nature. Mental illnesses can be brought about by environmental stressors, toxins, external forces causing genetic mutations, trauma to the brain. As you can see, there are a myriad of reasons why someone can develop a mental illness.

Is there a genetic cause of ADHD. The study in question on the genetic link to ADHD was conducted by a team of British scientists who mapped the genes of over 1,400 children. These researchers discovered that children with ADHD were more likely to have small pieces of their DNA missing or duplicated. These abnormalities were located in the same region of the brain where schizophrenia is believed to develop as well as autism, which further contributed to the belief that ADHD is a neuro-developmental condition. My newer website psychiatristscottsdale.com has many studies regarding the issue of genetics versus environment.

This article is for informational purposes only and not to be used to treat or diagnose any illness